"Father, sir!" Lance saluted his father, his young body shaking with pride. "Every—"
Lance's father turned to him. "That's enough, boy; you are here to train, so not a word from you." His voice powerful and terrifying as Lance stared at him in a rigid body. "Now, I going to talk to the king, so behave yourself and stay within the gardens; this maid will take to there." Young Lance placed himself in attention as his father left, his eyes saddened as he followed the servant.
As they approached, Lance saw flowers of many varieties, one he had never seen to those he recognized in his mother's garden his eye lite up before he shook his head. He remembers that he had to stay focused if he was going to follow in his father's footsteps. He walked the gardens as if he was on patrol.
Lance noticed a servant in the inner parts of the garden bowing at someone behind the hedge; he then heard someone calling him. Lance looked back before running to his father, who was calling him to take him home. Lance stood tall and followed his father like the good squire he was.
AS they reached their home, he noticed his mother wait for them as they entered, a servant helped her up as she greeted them. "Welcome home, my beloved, and you too, my little soldier." Her eyes close off from the world as his father touched her hand.
He closed his eye, "Honey, you should not push yourself and," Lance's father caressed his mother's hands, "you shouldn't be in the gardens in your condition."
She blushed at him, "I know, but the feeling of tending to my flowers seem to set my mind at ease when you leave." Lance's father sighed as she touched his face. "Besides, the doc said its best that I stay active in some way, now dinner is ready, let us eat as a family?"
Lance watched as his father left their presence, Lance looked at his mother seeing that she was upset they would not all be there for dinner as she walked to the dining hall, her servants guiding her along the way. Lance tailed behind; he felt that nothing he could do could fill the void his father left every time since the accident.
The next day, Lance walked up to his mother as she sat in her garden. Lance blushed as he found the courage to talk to her. "Um, mum,"
She turned to him, placing her hand in his head. "Yes, dear?"
Lance turned away from her smiling face. "I saw the castle gardens yesterday, and I might see them again today when I leave, and I-I was wondering if you might want to—"
His mother shook her head. "I cannot go with you, Lance, but I will be here every time you come home. You can tell me anything, even if everything seems so distant, alright?" Lance tried to hold his tears in like a man. She slipped her hands around him. "It's ok to cry; no one is perfect, my little soldier." Lance sniffled, not wanting her to see his weakness as he felt to be the real man when his father shut her away.
Hours later, Lance returned to the gardens, where his father sent him. Lance found himself in a far corner and let himself wallow, afterwards he brushed himself off and began to patrol the gardens once more. Making his way to the place he saw yesterday, he found no one there this time as he trotted along through the winding pathways. He found himself at a fountain; he washed his face as he noticed a person walking on the other side. A young man in rags, with black hair and deep amber eyes, look over at him.
Lance puffed his chest and ran after the boy, but by the time he got there, the boy was gone. His father walked down the pathway, as he looked around for the boy, Lance looked over to see his father standing before him. Lance jumped as he went into attention.
"Come, we are heading home now." Lance slowly came to life as his father walked away. 'Hurry, boy!" Lance ran up to him, seeing his face stiff in anger from searching for him. Lance felt guilt drop down on him like a ton of bricks.
As they walked home, Lance noticed a strange man standing outside his home. The man asked for his father, his face pale as he said something to Lance's father. Lance watched as his father's face stiffened more, he rushed inside. Lance confused, walked inside, seeing a white sheet covering something as his father screamed in agony as he held a hand from underneath the sheet. Lance's eye widened as he recognized the hand as his mothers. He looked at the sheet as his legs gave way as the shock began to settle in. His mother lay dead before him, signs of blood-soaked the white sheet.
Lance tried to stand as he looked at his mother, "Mum, please… please, get up…Mum?" Tears welled up as he wished she came with them. Lance reared his head back, trying to hold himself together as the servants escorted him out of his home. The doors closed as they cut him off from his mother's lifeless body.
That night Lance never slept as he waited for his father to take him home to see his mother waiting for him. Her smile, warm and comforting as it took away his worries and doubts about his abilities. Lance cried h throughout the night as he passed out. The loss of his mother hardened his soul as his father stayed at the castle, making him unable to go home as he slept in the knight's barracks, day in and day out for weeks on end.
As time passed, Lance became stern as he walked the halls of the castle, but one day he looked over at the gardens. Lance remembered that boy he saw that day as he entered. As if a force was taking hold of him as he walked into the gardens. Lance made his way through the maze of flowers; he noticed that same boy form that day. Lances eye lite up as he rushed after the boy. He was determined to catch the boy and ask him why he was in the castle grounds when he shouldn't be.
Lance was able to catch up to the boy at the fountains he first met the boy. Lances puffed his chest. "You, you're not supposed to be here?!" The boy stared at him; Lance gritted his teeth. "Answer me, peasant?!" The boy began to walk off. Lance grabbed his arm, his anger welling up. "Why do you not answer me, peasant?!"
The boy stared at Lance, eyes filled with rage. "Because you asked me?" Lance was taken back by his response.
Lance felt his arm yanked as he looked to see his father pull him away, "Lance, you fool of a boy!" Lance could see the anger within his fathers' eyes as he turned to the boy, "Please forgive me, idiot son young prince?" Lances watched his father bow at the boy, as he realized what his father said. Lance went cold as he turned to the boy.
The boy stared at him. "No need, he mistook me like a peasant because I was not in proper attire. Master Pen-pen—sorry I don't remember your name, sir?" Lance blink as he watched the boy apologize to him. Lance's father accepted the apology as he dragged Lance way, Lance looked back to see he was miserable like he was. He vowed that he would make the prince talk without being asked.
The next day Lance set out for the young prince, he looked through the gardens as he came upon the garden's tea garden. Lance noticed the boy sitting there he walked up to him the boy stared at him. "Talk!" Lance barked at him; the boy stared at him. "I want you to talk about whatever you want to talk about; I can see you sad about something, so talk on your terms." Lance stared, waiting for the boy to answer. He waited for an hour before he sighed. "Ok, let's start with your name? My name is Lance. What is yours?"
The boy shifted himself to face Lance. "Prince—"
Lance growled at him. "Not titles, we are on equal grounds!?"
The boy stared at him in awe as he sighed. "M-my n-name is g-Gale m-McKnight." Lance smiled at Gale. "Ha-happy?"
Lance grabbed his hands, "Yes, Gale and I hope that we can be friends!"
Gale tilted his head at Lance. "W-what is an f-f-friend?"
Lance dropped his mouth as he was shocked that Gale knew nothing about friends or friendship. Lance had a spark of an idea. Pulling Gale as he dragged him off. "Let me show what friends can do!"
Gale followed Lance as they made their way through the castle, as the days went on, Lance dragged Gale around and brought him his voice for others to hear. Lance laughed as the days passed as a voice called to him. Lance looked over to the sun as everything became brighter.
"Lance, wake up, its morning now?" Lance opened his eyes to see Gale standing above him. "Marie, will he hear soon." Lance Yawned as he got up, Gale looked at him, "What were you dreaming of?"
Lance smiled at him. "I was dreaming of the days that lead to our friendship." A knock came from the door; Lance walked over to answer its.